Hinckley Doesn`t Deserve Profits

March 15, 1985

THERE IS something obscene about the thought of John Hinckley Jr. making a profit from his effort to assassinate President Ronald Reagan. Not only did Hinckley nearly succeed in killing the chief executive, his shooting spree also injured two lawmen and caused brain damage to Reagan press chief James Brady.

Incredibly, it now appears that Hinckley will receive 25 percent of the royalties of a book on his life story proposed by a New York author.

Federal law properly prevents criminals from making a profit by selling their sordid stories. Hinckley, however, apparently falls through the cracks of the law, even though there is no doubt that he shot the president and the others and is now institutionalized because of his actions.

The reason Hinckley can turn a buck: He was judged innocent by reason of insanity, and therefore is not considered a criminal.

The law may be impotent in this case, but the people are not. Hinckley can sell his story, but there is no reason people have to buy a book about it. If a book ever is published from which Hinckley might profit, people should do some real soul searching, and perhaps recall the image of James Brady in a wheelchair, before handing out their hard-earned cash.